Cigar cutter and lighter.



No. 632,546. Patented sept. 5, |899.

E. A. JnHNsToN.

CIGAR CUTTER AND LIGHTER.

(Applicaion mea mar. 17, 189s.) (N0 Mdl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 632,4l6.

Patented Sept. 5, |899. E. A. JOHNSTON. CIGAR CUTTER AND'. LIGHTER.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

:fillIlllllllllllllllllllln llllmlllll co. PNoTouwo., WASHINGTON-n, c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.FDIVARD A. JOHNSTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ISIDOR LATZAR AND .IOI'IN N. DANNER, OF SAME PLACE.

i CIGAR CUTTER AND LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,416, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed March 17, 1898. Serial No. 674,142. (No model.)

To all whom t'mcty concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar Cutters and Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines in which a cigar may be placed, the end clipped o, and the opposite end lighted ready for the smoker to use.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient cigar cutter and lighter.

A further object is to provide a cigar cutter and lighter with mechanism by which the lighting end of the cigar is kept constantly at one position and with mechanism for yieldingly holding the opposite end to adapt the mechanism for use with different lengths of cigars.

Further objects will appear from an inspection of the drawings and the following description and claims.

The invention consists in the combination of cutting mechanism, lighting mechanism, mechanism for supporting the lighting end of the cigar, and mechanism for yieldingly holding the opposite end of the cigar.

The invention consists, further, in the combination of cutting mechanism, lighting mechanism, a cigar-supporter formed of coneshaped reticulated material which supports and protects the wrapper of the lighting end of the cigar, and mechanism for yieldingly holding the opposite end of the cigar.

The invention consists, further and finally, in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation showing a cigar cutter and lighter constructed in accordance with my improvements;v Fig. 2, a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3, a front elevation of a portion of the cigar-cutting mechanism; Fig. 4, a sectional detail view taken on line t of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional detail `pf a ball valve located in the elbow of the blow-pipe,

4other mechanisms.

and Fig. 6 a sectional detail view of the supporting protecting mechanism for the lighting end of the cigar.

Inconstructing a cigar cutter and lighter in accordance with my improvements I make a base portion A of the desired size and shape to support and contain the operative and On the base portion is the frame portion B, preferably constructed of sheet metal, provided with a cover b.

In order to support a cigar in position, I provide a bracket portion O, having a conical-shaped supportingbracket portion c, formed, preferably,of wire-gauze,which holds the lighting end of the cigar and protects the wrapper. This supporter and protector is for the end of the cigar which I term the lighting end to distinguish it from the opposite end of the cigar, which I term the smoking end, and which is held in the mouth. This supporting-protector is, as above stated, made of wire-gauze for the purpose of permitting the iiame of an alcohol or other kind of lamp or gas to contact the lighting end of the cigar and ignite the same.

It is well known in this art that there are various sizes and shapes of cigars and that cigars come in various lengths. I-Ience it is desirable in this class of mechanisms to have means for yieldingly holding the cigar while it is being cut and lighted, so that various lengths of cigars may be cut and held therein. In order to accomplish this result, I provide a holding-lever D and pivotally mount it on the frame portion at d. This holding-lever is preferably provided with a Haring opening CZ at the upper portion to admit the smoking end of the cigar and has its upper end projecting through a slotted opening b in the cover. To hold the supporting-lever in its normal position toward the lighting end of Y the mechanism, so as to embrace the smallestsized cigar, I prefer to use a helical-coiled spring cl2, which surrounds the hub (Z3 of the holding-lever, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. By this means it will be seen that this holding-lever may be forced back to any desired position to hold any length of cigar without in any way interfering with the cutting mechanism which is hereinafter described.

When the cigar is in the position shown in ICO Fig. 1that is, with its lighting end in position to be ignited and its smoking end in position to be cut-it is desirable to cntfand clip the same, and in order to accomplish this result I provide a sheet-metal cutter E and slidingly mount it in the holding-lever, so that its perforated portion e, through which the smoking end of the cigar is passed, may be used to clip oft a portion of the smoking end of the cigar. In order to operate this cutter, I provide the operating-lever G and pivotally mount it at g on the frame portion, such lever being kept inv its upper limit of motion and in an inoperative position by means of the spring g. The reciprocating cutter is secured to the operating-lever at and by means of the screw-bolt d4, lso that when the handle portion g2 of the operating-lever is depressed the cutter is also depressed, and when the operating-lever is returned to its normal position by means of the spring g the cutter is also returned.

After the cigar has been cut it is desirable to ignite the lighting end of it. In order to accomplish this result, I provide a lamp H, having a burner h, so arranged that the flame h' comes about opposite the lighting end of the cigar. The burneris arranged in a chimney portion H', having perforations h2 and h3. To project the iiame against the lighting end of the cigar, I provide an airpump I, composed of a cylinder 'i and mov-v able piston i', the piston-rod 'i2 of which is bent in U form and so arranged that a projection g3 on the operating-lever will contact the bend in the piston-rod and pull it outwardly, so as to permit air to rush into the cylinder through the valve i3. IV hen theoperating-lever is released, a spring I returns the piston of the air-pump to its inner position and forces the air out through a tube or blowpipe I2, and the air as it rushes from the blowpipe forces the iiame of the lamp against the lighting end of the cigar to ignite the same, as is clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The elbow i4 on the blowpipe is provided with a ball-valve to prevent air from entering the pump through such pipe, but allows it to pass through the blowpipe for the purpose of igniting the cigar.

The principal advantage due to the use of my improvement is that the lighting end of the cigar is held in one position and its wrapper protected, so that the llame will always contact the same point and ignite the cigar, while the cutting and holding mechanism for the opposite or smoking end of the cigar is yieldingly held to permit its use with the normal size of cigar.

I claim- 1. In a cigar lighter and cutter, the combination of cutting mechanism, lighting mechanism, a supporter for the lighting end of the cigar, and a supporter for yieldingly holding the smoking end of the cigar, substantially as described.

2. In a cigar lighter and cutter, the combination of cutting and lighting mechanism, a supporter provided with a wire cone which covers and protects the lighting end of the cigar and holds it in position to be ignited, and a supporter yieldingly mounted for supporting the smoking 'end of the cigar, substantially as described.

3. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combination of cutting and lighting mechanism, a supporter for holding the lighting end of the cigar in position to be ignited, a supporter yieldingly mounted to hold the smoking end of the cigar, and a cutter operatingly mounted in the yielding holder, substantially as described.

4. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combinat-ion of lighting mechanism, a supporter for holding the lighting end of the cigar in position to be ignited, a swinging lever for yieldingly holding the smoking end of the cigar, a cutter operatively mounted in such swinging lever, and means for operating the cutter, substantially as described.

5. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combination of lighting mechanism, a supporter provided with a reticulated cone for covering and protecting the lighting end of the cigar and holding it in position to be ignited, Va swinging lever for yieldingly holding the smoking end of the cigar, a cutter operatively mounted in such swinging lever, and means for operating the cutter, substantially as described.

6. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combination of lighting mechanism, a support for the lighting end of the cigar and holding it in position to be ignited, a swinging lever for yieldingly holding the smoking end of the cigar, a reciprocating cutter mounted in the swinging lever for cutting the cigar, a spring for yieldingly holding the swinging-lever holder, and an operating-lever for operating the reciprocating cutter, substantially as described.

7. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combination of 'a burner for igniting the cigar, a supporter for the lighting end of a cigar to hold it in position to be ignited, a swinging lever for yieldingly holding the smoking end of the cigar, spring mechanism for yieldingly holding the swinging lever normally at its inner limit of motion so as to hold cigars of different lengths,a reciprocating cutter mounted in such holder for cutting the smoking end of the cigar, an operating-lever pivotally con- 'nected to the reciprocating cutter for operating the saine, an air-pump arranged to be operated by the operating-lever, and a pipe leading from the pump to a point adjacent to the burner so as to project the iiame against the lighting end of the cigar, substantially as described.

8. In a cigar cutter and lighter, the combisupporter provided with a reticulated cone for covering and protecting the lighti-ng end IOO IIO

nation of a burner for igniting the cigar, aj

ranged to be operated by the operating-lever, and a pipe leading from the pump to a point adjacent to the burner so as to project the iarne against the lighting end of the cigar, substantially as described.

EDVARD A. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS B. MCGREGOR, BELLE W. BARRY. 

